


Mortal Needs

by Aery_Child



Category: Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World
Genre: Anal Sex, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Friends With Benefits, I Blame Tumblr, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Something Made Them Do It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-21
Packaged: 2018-09-10 15:32:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8922634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aery_Child/pseuds/Aery_Child
Summary: Ratatosk has needs, but not as prominent as the needs of the other blond in the room. Aster's needs are typically fulfilled by a redhead who's off busy, but he supposed hearing the Spirit moan would be an interesting treat.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First off, this was thanks to a Twitter discussion. But I still blame tumblr for all of those damn prompts that put this idea in my head.  
> I got started writing this thinking it was going to be something goofy because I was chatting with them about how Aster and Ratatosk would be hilarious friends.  
> But then it turned into a smut and for weird and I was like "You know what. Oh well." XD

A snagging want would play at the blond with green eyes at the furthest end of the room. Of course, he had to just take deep breaths, and calm down. He can do this. It's only for three weeks that Richter will be gone. He can do this. A small sigh. Like hell could he, after about a year with sex almost every night, how was he supposed to survive three freaking weeks!? He shifted and squirmed before getting up and walking around the room, the footsteps slightly echoing against the walls. He adjusted his lab coat before finally just taking it off, deciding he was too uncomfortable to have it on. Resting it on the back of his brown chair before sitting at it. Pulling back to his research. It's just three weeks.

Across the room on the blue couch, another blond sat, reading a book he found interest in. Of course, initially he wanted to borrow the book and read it in a more private dwelling, but it was one of those very important books. Which meant it was too special and unique to borrow. So he bugged Aster to let him hang out with him because he was interested in its contents. Aster had never seen the spirit interested in literature before and figured, why not. No harm, he just wants to read a book. Granted he couldn't blame Ratatosk for being curious about the book, it was a book about him after all. Theories and disputes and who Ratatosk probably was, etc. Aster even gave Ratatosk a small task to write down what was true, what might have prompted which legend or rumors, and all kinds of things of the sort. The spirit at the time wrinkled his nose and begrudgingly agreed. So nearby was a notepad and paper that had small things written on it.  
  
One would glance at it and figured a girl had written on the notepad with how refined the letters were and how smooth each word went into the next. Of course it was a major contradictory to Ratatosk's personality, which tended to be rough around the edges and harsh. Aster chalked it up to practice and perhaps boredom. However, to return to the point, this blond didn't have any specific needs at the moment. He was more than perfectly content laying there reading this book and fulfilling this request. Aster squirmed again before finally putting his head against his notes and cherry colored wooden desk. A small groan emitting from the boy.  
  
Ratatosk gave a small sigh, bookmarked the page and sat up, cocking an eyebrow at the other. Seriously, he's been fidgeting and wiggling around for nearly two hours. What ants crawled into their pants?  
  
"Aster, what seems to be the problem." He asked, keeping steady red hues on the other. Aster almost jumped out of his skin hearing the other suddenly talk.  
  
"Oh. Ratatosk. Um." He laughed slightly "It's nothing, just uncomfortable. Can't concentrate." He admitted, now slightly deflated.

"Is something bugging you?"

Aster looked up at the spirit, confusion playing in his eyes. Why did the other seem to care? "Just human things. Needs and wants that I can't have currently"

Ratatosk simply blinked at him. It was now his turn to be confused. His mind landed on an idea...

"It's better to do what you need to do instead of holding it in." Of course in Ratatosk's mind, he meant the bathroom. In Aster's mind, he threw his brain in the dumpster and blushed at the words.  
  
"D-Do what I-- What are you implying?" He had to double check to be sure.  
  
Ratatosk sighed and rolled his eyes. "What's that human saying. 'Better out than in?' I don't know. Last I checked, this facility certainly isn't lacking bathrooms. If you have human needs, then take care of them."  
  
Aster blushed further, as if what his guttered mind had thought was indeed correct. "I-I can't just do That in the bathroom! What if someone walks in on me!?"  
  
"Aster, if you have to go take a fucking leak, I'm sure no one will fucking judge you."  
  
Aster blinked. Then snickered, and now was holding his side's laughing. Ratatosk didn't find this amusing.  
  
"Oi, what's so funny."  
  
"I-I didn't" some more laughing "That's not what meant by human needs." He shook his head laughing a little more before calming down.

“Then what the hell did you mean by it.”

Aster thought on how to explain it.. “Do you know what humans or mortals do?”

Ratatosk blinked. “... Eat, sleep, work, reproduce, take dumps, interact.. yeah, why?”

“What do you understand about reproduction?”

“Why does it matter?”

A small hum from Aster “Because, human needs sometimes want something stimulating like reproduction, only without the production because physical limitations like wrong organs.”

A bored, unimpressed look emanated from Ratatosk. Clearly not amused at all with the development of this conversation. “Aster, I think everyone knows you're more Gay than the definition of gay.”

A sigh now left Aster. “You missed my point”

“You had a point? It wasn't that you're wishing Richter was here to cling to like a cat?”

Aster raised his eyebrows. Okay, not completely wrong but… “Males and males can have sex too.”

A sarcastic grin decorated Ratatosk's face “Yeah. Sure. I'll believe it when I see it.”

“I can show you. You could help me fulfill the human need I'm having.” Aster pressed the subject on without a hitch, leaving a paused silence from Ratatosk.

“... Would it get you to stop squirming afterwards? Your moving around and making unnecessary noise is annoying.” he asked carefully

Aster nodded promptly. Ratatosk released a breath of air and shrugged

“Fuck it. Sure, whatever. Was at a boring part of the book anyway.” he put the book on the end table next to the couch with the notepad and pencil.

Aster grinned with a glimmer of mischief, before hopping out of the chair and going over to Ratatosk. With the permission to relieve pent up sexual tension, it was almost an early Christmas gift come true! Of course, granted, Richter might not be too pleased to learn the blond was getting rid of urges on the spirit, but the progressing days were making it harder for Aster to cope!

Aster sat next to Ratatosk, and well… looking at him was like looking at a twin with a bad attitude. Of course Aster wondered if the other was sensitive in all of the same places. But a rising thought bubbled to the surface.

“Have you ever had sex before?”

Ratatosk glared “No. I don't have the urges to. It's not necessary for me to.”

Aster's eyes widened “Are you okay with me being your first?”

“I have no idea what that even means. Don't sensualize everything with weird wording.”

“It means, as your first, I'm deflowering you. Taking your virginity. That doesn't bug you?”

“Aster, spirits don't typically have sex to begin with, why would that bug me?”

Aster was stumped. He had a good point. Mortals kinda needed it so that their species don't go extinct, and in some cases made it into a weird ritual, a dance even. Spirits didn't need sex, therefore not much thought would go into it for a spirit. He gave a cheeky grin.

“Well then Ratatosk, if you're fine with it, don't mind if I show you the ropes~” he purred in the other's ear.

Ratatosk blinked and blushed slightly, moving away and rubbing his ear in bemusement. Aster slowly inched over to Ratatosk, allowing himself to invade the other's space, hands crawling up the other's shirt in feathery touches. Ratatosk slightly leaned back, as if to get away from the touching and the invasion of space, but stupid him was sitting at the end of the couch. Unless he could magically phase through the couch, which he can't, he wasn't escaping Aster's antics. His shirt was soon hiked up showing off the tanned chest of nicely defined muscle tones. Which caused Aster to stare.

“I've been a string bean all my life, how do you have Abs and pec muscles?”

Ratatosk blinked, his face heated. “W-What?”

“How do have muscles when I have nothing?” Aster reworded the question

“I actually do things other than sit at a desk doing research.”

“ Touché” Aster chuckled before leaning down and nipping at the other's skin. Ratatosk squirmed slightly at the unfamiliar feeling.

He started at the base of Ratatosk's sternum, slowly making his way up with his nips and biting, until he reached the shirt that was presently hiked up. Hands glided up his sides, ever so slightly pinching sometimes. Ratatosk bit his bottom lip slightly when Aster proceeded to move in closer giving his neck kisses and nips before finally biting down on a spot and sucking at his skin. Ratatosk made a slight muffled Yelp noise in the back of his throat, taken off guard by the tingling of pain.

“A-Aster, W-what are you-- !!”

Aster slid his hand around the back and teased his Venus dimples on the back of the sacrum, scratching and pinching, drawing stars and shapes on him causing small noises to emit from the red eyed blond. Aster released from sucking the other's neck, proud of his nice hickey that he left behind. Ratatosk was going to have lots of fun trying to get that to heal, Aster thought to himself before moving his other hand to play at Ratatosk's iliac crests, pinching and pulling the skin around the bone before moving dangerously closer to the inside of his hip. He worked his way up the other's neck, nipping and kissing till he decided to bite and suck on his ear.

Ratatosk was fiercely red in the face, squirming and make small noises as he slowly became more and more flustered. His back arched when Aster's hand gingerly slid up his spine, playing and circling each notch in the vertebrae, as if to count how many he had in total. Starting from the lumbar, and going all the way up to the cervical portions of the spine, each having their own spot light for attention. Aster teased with ginger touches at his hamstrings causing a small needy tone to leave Ratatosk, causing the devious grin on Aster's face to widen.

“Oh~? What's this, a needy sound from a spirit?” He teased, sliding up it till he was mere centimeters away from center. “I thought spirits don't have urges~?”

Aster's breath was hot against Ratatosk's skin as he emitted another sound of need against his will. He couldn't make the sounds stop even if he tried. It was like Aster was perfecting an art on Ratatosk, enacting a tango that only he knew the rules to. Then again, it was Ratatosk's own fault for going into this without even first knowing about how hetero sex worked.

Ratatosk breath came in hitched spurts “Sh-Shuddup. You did this a-anyway. Instigated u-urges don't count.” Aster hummed in amusement before sliding a finger up Ratatosk's bulge from the base to the tip causing the Spirit to moan.

“I think they count~” he circled around the tip with his finger, enjoying the secret songs that we're leaving the spirit in moans and whines.

“A-Ah!” The feeling was completely weird and different and made his body feel ridiculously hot and his pants annoyingly tight. He was trying everything he could to keep himself composed but it wasn't going to happen. His body was starting to crave these touches, and wanted more.

Aster soon made easy work of Ratatosk's pants, slowly pulling them off him and giving the spirit some small release of the pressure his pants and underwear were causing. Aster teased Ratatosk, playing and stroking his part, but not giving him too much. Just enough to cause the other to moan and grunt. Aster paused slightly, causing Ratatosk to slightly whine from the missing attention. Aster laughed slightly.

“Oh shoosh, I have to get the lube or you'll be in more pain than ... well the pain you'll kinda be in anyway.”

Aster reached under the couch and grabbed the bottle. It's where Richter and Aster would hide in case they couldn't wait to got to the private dwellings of their room. Ratatosk stared at Aster, curious as to what the other had meant by the pain. He thought sex was about pleasure. It's supposed to be isn't it? Otherwise why do it? His thoughts must have been written clear as day on his face because when Aster squirted the cool liquid onto his hand and shook his head with a smile; he replied

“Relax, I'll try my best to not hurt you too much.”

Aster took a finger with the liquid and pressed slightly against Ratatosk's entrance. Causing a surprised yelp from him and lots of squirming. Aster moved in closer while messaging his entrance and kissed Ratatosk. Mostly to just silence the other to accepting and not questioning. He soon managed to get Ratatosk to allow entrance in the kiss and proceeded to deepen and explore in the kiss causing a muffled moan. Soon Aster entered a second finger, and Ratatosk's hand gripped the couch fabric, letting loose noises of slight discomfort of the feeling. Aster took it slow, it was the other's first time after all! He worked his finger out and then back in in slow steady repetition until he felt the other could handle two fingers. Just gradually spreading the other wider as he continued to squirm and make noises, though before they were noises in discomfort and now they turned into a mixed noise. Of course it was hard to tell, since Aster was having a gleefully fun time kissing and exploring the other's mouth. It was kinda like what he imagined kissing himself to be like.

Though Aster went into this needy, he was now feeling even more so. Turning Ratatosk on and playing with him had caused Aster to become even more turned, mostly because he was so freaking adorable. It was obvious that Ratatosk kept trying to restrain moans and noises and even sometimes movement, but when the spirit loses it, Pride wells in Aster. Mostly because he's making a powerful spirit succumb to, what the other would have before written off as, mortal instincts and needs. Honestly, this was also pretty good for research. It told him enough to know that spirits seriously didn't know about sex. Granted that could all change if Ratatosk ever decided to spread the news, but he highly doubted it.

He separated from the kiss allowing the other his breath back before inserting the third finger. Ratatosk felt weird knowing that one could simply and literally shove three fingers up his ass. It felt foreign, and at first hurt and was uncomfortable. Nothing like the other touches that Aster was giving before. However, between the kisses and him getting used to the feeling, he started to find himself back to being in the same mess of moaning. Aster soon pulled his fingers out. Ratatosk shifted slightly and awkwardly, after having been played with and then nothing, it felt like a let down.

That was until Aster gave his ass a poke with his own dick. “... W-What are you doing.” He asked, eyes narrowing.

Aster smiled “Aw~ don't want to continue anymore?”

Ratatosk rolled his eyes. “Who died and said you could strip me, yet you still wear clothes-”

“You're still wearing your shirt--” Ratatosk threw his shirt at Aster. It was pretty clear that Ratatosk wasn't allowing Aster to proceed with clothes on. But if Ratatosk wanted to be honest, he was only delaying it. He seriously did not think someone's dick, much less Aster's, was going to fit. Soon Aster was also lacking clothes and attempted to tug Ratatosk closer, only to fail and opted to just scooching closer causing Ratatosk to cough the word 'Weak’.

He prodded Ratatosk's entrance gently, pressing against causing Ratatosk to wince slightly.

“You ready?” Aster asked, making sure he wasn't doing anything that the spirit couldn't handle, but a brisk nod told him it was fine. Aster pushed causing a help from the other and made it only halfway before deciding that was enough for now. He paused in the spot trying to gauge Ratatosk's reaction, aside from the Yelp to see if it was okay to move before doing so. Slowly and gently pulling and pushing. It didn't take long for the spirit to realize that it was easiest if he moved his hips to a similar rhythm for comfort sake on the both of them. Though this felt completely different than Aster's fingers. He felt filled and in pain, but pain was slowly melting to pleasure. Aster started going deeper, and then soon faster causing the spirit to make noises he's never made before and at times moaning Aster's name as the other’s nails dug into his hips to keep them together.

Ratatosk's mind started melting to a white fuzziness as pleasure overwhelmed his sense, soon requesting breathlessly for the other to go faster which the blonde happily complied to; till they both released.

Ratatosk leaving a mess between them and Aster leaving a mess in his ass. They both gulped at air from the activity and soon Aster removed himself. There wasn't a lot of room on the couch but enough that the two blonds could fit side by side, entirely exhausted.

“So?” Aster asked questioning

“So, what?”

“Impressions? Thoughts?”

“... I need a nap.”

Aster fell into a fit of laughter before sitting up. “We need to clean up first. Can't pass out and have someone walk in on us naked.”

Ratatosk grumbled, sat up wincing and small swears leaving him. “Fucking-- see, this is the part that sucks.” He griped, Aster snickering.

“Females are kinda the same way for their first time” he teased “You get used to it over time”

Ratatosk shook his head, dismissing it and with Aster's help, well more like Aster did everything as Ratatosk tried to help, they were soon cleaned up. But Ratatosk definitely could use a shower he felt. The both mutually agreed though, that Ratatosk shouldn't probably move for about a day until his ass felt better. Which essentially meant Ratatosk crashing on Aster's bed. It wasn't too awkward seeing as how both of them were wiped from the activities, but Aster remembers, just as he was drifting off to sleep. The last thing Ratatosk said that night.

“Thanks… it wasn't as bad as I thought.”


	2. Discorded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I continue this for some ungodly reason instead of work on the tales of secret Santa gift Pffft
> 
> Gist is, Aster and Ratatosk are now slightly awkward around each other after their canoodling. Oh~ And Richter Comes home in the midst of all this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly wasn't anticipating that I would write more for this, but one idea led to another and the irrational need to break Richter's heart overcame me Wahahaha.

It was a few weeks after from the, what one would call, Sex Education, and Ratatosk was more than unhappy with the awkward predicament he was now stuck with. Which was baffling to the spirit considering how the two of him, Aster and him, seemed to be pretty chill. Granted their heads weren't screwed on quite right, of course, but it had seemed like they were okay and set on just brushing it under the couch, along with the lube bottle, and not thinking too much about it. However, Every time Ratatosk hung out near or around Aster, the green-eyed blond could give Emil a run for his money with how badly he was stuttering and fumbling with words and sentences. A sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. What did he do, aside from somehow accidentally tempting Aster into sex, that he deserved such awkwardness.

He was halfway through the book that he had originally wanted to borrow, and had more notes than the book had. It was a nice distraction from Aster’s behavior, but they had less than a week before Richter came home, and they needed to clear the air. If they wanted to avoid any possible suspicion from the redhead. That was the last thing he wanted; to deal with the drama of essentially agreeing to sex education with someone who was in a relationship. Fucking Aster. Granted, Ratatosk was just as guilty as Aster in all of this, for many more counts than he would ever want to agree to. Of course, they didn’t stop at one time. No of course not, that is far too logical. Ratatosk had his one day down time to recover and of course, Aster had at that point pegged him as some sort of friend with benefits type deal. Honestly, thinking about it made Ratatosk feel horribly guilty. He should have stopped it at a one-time thing, but the damn blond knew how to word things in such a way that furthered his curiosity on the subject.

One of those interests, Topping being more preferential than bottoming. Granted, bottoming out wasn’t so bad but it was awkward in some aspects. Mostly ego speaking there for him. Not entirely since he learned a lot since starting this weird… habit. Like how Aster might be excellent at teasing and foreplay, but Aster was almost a natural bottom. Where Ratatosk typically was too rough or hard, despite his best intentions to try and be gentle, however, excelled at topping. It also seemed like Aster had gotten addicted to the whole thing. Well, no, Aster was already addicted to sex but a different kind in a sense? He didn’t know or understand. Then again, he has no idea how Richter typically treats Aster in bed. Which landed on the thought that he was nothing more than a replacement until Richter came back which caused a gross feeling in him. He didn’t love Aster, but he was so used to be used in his life that he couldn’t help but feel bitter about any time he’s been used to the detriment of him.

Aster entered the room that he was borrowing just to read a damn book, the blond looking beyond nervous. He was wringing his hands and staring at them. Was he going to address the elephant in the room of the weird situation they have created? Ratatosk sure hoped so, or he was going to have to do it for Aster. He honestly didn’t feel like it. It had taken him so long to finally just be okay with the blond to the point one would dare say they became friends, but the fact remained that Ratatosk just utterly sucked at addressing issues without putting someone down.

Aster took a deep breath. He could do this, it was for all three of their sakes. It was Aster’s fault that this even happened, in regards to the fact that the spirit didn’t even know how sex even went before everything. He looked up and looked Ratatosk in the eye. How could the spirit look so composed!? Wait, no, perhaps he’s pretending to be composed. He wouldn’t put it past Ratatosk; He did, after all, have sex with the spirit and knew that something Ratatosk would often try and do was stay composed. He scratched his head. No Bad Brain. Don’t think that way! This makes it so much harder! Though, Aster was suddenly understanding how quickly you could learn about someone through many sessions of intimacy. 

“So… Um.” He smiled nervously “I think we should stop… because… well, I don’t... I don’t think Richter would approve of this.” Richter wouldn’t, he knew that already. However, leaving room for the better of the doubt was fair enough in case, in some alternate reality, Richter would be okay with it. Ratatosk flicked his eyes back down to the text in the book.

“Yeah, sure.”

Aster blinked. Was it as simple as that? No hard feelings? Nothing? Had it meant nothing or didn’t really matter to the spirit? Aster rubbed his arm, feeling the fabric of his lab coat.

“... Is there something else?” Ratatosk noted that Aster hadn’t said anything more and was still standing there awkwardly.

“That’s… You’re not upset?”

“Should I be?” Ratatosk sighed and looked back up to the human from the book yet again.

“I essentially… I did something terrible. I didn’t really mean it to… What I mean is…” Aster fumbled, not wanting there to be an issue but he didn’t know how to talk about it without there being an issue.

“Essentially using me as a sex buddy replacement?”

The words stung. However, that was what Aster meant. He hated how blunt the spirit could be. Would it kill the other to learn a bit of restraint in those regards? He didn’t have to cause Aster this kind of emotional remorse.

“Y-Yeah… I shouldn’t have asked you, should have been patient and find a sock.”

“Like a sock isn’t unsanitary at all.” Aster almost laughed from those words. Okay so perhaps the other wasn’t trying to be blunt or mean.

“But, I’m really sorry. I mean it.” Aster saw Ratatosk’s eye shift to looking past Aster and a look of surprise on the Spirit’s face but continued talking. Whoever it was could wait until a deep familiar voice entered the room, causing Aster to freeze in place.

“You did what…”

Aster didn’t want to look, but his body turned instinctively and the feeling of dread washed over him.

“You had… With him… With Ratatosk of all people?”

“R-Richter! You’re back early-”

“Why.”

Aster looked at the redhead, pained features on his face framed by glasses.

“I- Richter it was… I…” Aster was hating how he couldn’t give a straight answer.

“I asked Aster what sex was like and he showed me.” Ratatosk lied. Aster looked at Ratatosk with surprised features. Why was he covering for Aster?

“And How could Aster possibly benefit from doing it with you.” It came from Richter as more of a demand than a question. Ratatosk rolled his eyes. One thing Ratatosk could pride himself with was being a good actor.

“Aster is a researcher, researching Summon spirits. There’s a lot he could benefit from it.”

“I doubt doing it with you could bring up any kind of research.”

Aster sensed what was going on. Ratatosk was saving his hide, granted in a weird way, but in a method that wasn’t really lying. Yes, Aster had learned a lot from Ratatosk during the interactions. Mostly because it wasn’t hard to get Ratatosk to quip back facts that Aster wouldn’t have previously known otherwise. Not to mention, Aster would be lying if he didn’t admit he had written down everything he learned from the spirit.

“It did,” Aster spoke up. “I… I have notes if you want to read them? They are in the normal place with the rest of the notes-”

“Enough. I’m going to rest. I regret coming back so quickly, clearly I interrupted your rendezvous.” Richter turned away and quickly walked away leaving Aster there to stare. Ratatosk set the book aside and stood up, stretching.

“Well?"

Aster looked at Ratatosk at the words. “Well, what?”

“Not going to go after him?”

“I…” Aster’s eyes lowered, guilt pooling inside of him making him feel sick.

“Go after him.”

“What?” Just as quickly as Aster’s eyes were lowered, they were now back on Ratatosk’s face.

“Go. After. Him. Don’t make me spell the words next or I’m dragging your ass to Richter.”

“What would I even say?”

“Oh, for crying out loud, A N Y T H I N G is better than nothing. Go after him and get him to understand your ass is still magnetized to him, idiot.”

Aster blinked “Magnetized?”

“Time is ticking, and Richter is moving farther away Aster.” Ratatosk shook his head, Moved past Aster and walked out of the room, but not before dragging Aster by the back of his shirt.

“Ah! Hey, Ratatosk- I can walk!”

“Then, more walking, fewer questions. Seriously, I’ll freaking babysit you and him if you don’t talk to him.”

Aster took the hint and moved on ahead and went in the Direction of what would have been Richter’s old room. He figured that the redhead wasn’t going to want to go to their shared room after hearing … well, that. His head raced with thoughts. It had taken Aster two days to even formulate what he wanted to tell Ratatosk, only to find that Ratatosk seemed to not care. He was still calling bullshit, but perhaps the spirit had because the spirit already wrestled with the thoughts and found it was pointless? Or maybe the spirit seriously didn’t care. Either or, Aster was going into this feeling very unprepared. He thought Ratatosk was following him only to turn around and see the other wasn’t. Perhaps went to get something? Still… meant no one he could voice his thoughts to. He got to the room he thought Richter would be at and found… no Richter hadn’t come here. Aster was confused… Did Richter return to their room? Why? Walking over to their room and found, nope. No Richter here either.

Ratatosk, on the other hand, knew that the blond didn’t actually know where Richter was. Ratatosk had an inkling from the look on Richter’s face that the other wanted to see this proof of research still technically being done despite horsing around. Entering Aster’s work spot and leaning against the frame of the door to see Richter reading over the collection of notes. His feeling had been spot on. Poor Aster must be so lost and confused. It was fine, though. Ratatosk didn’t want Aster interrupting.

“Anything interesting in there?” Ratatosk called to him. Richter was so absorbed in thoughts and reading that he hadn’t heard Ratatosk approach, so was surprised by Ratatosk’s voice.

“Why did you follow me. Got bored with Aster already?” The words were harsh and bitter.

“Have you?”

“What?”

“You know, for someone who took every chance they got to remind me of how childish I acted at times, you are the epitome of childish at this moment.”

Richter grunted and glared. “So you’re here to mock me.” Ratatosk only shrugged.

Ratatosk only shrugged. “Aster’s looking for your ungrateful ass by the way.”

“How am I ungrateful, How could I possibly be- After what he did, what both of you did behind my back.”

“Scared that someone can easily satisfy him while you’re away, are we?”

“Don’t warp this scenario!”

“Well you know, Richter. Perhaps you’re not the only one feeling like shit at the moment. Or is your head too far shoved up where the sun doesn’t shine to see that.”

Richter set the papers on the desk. “Get out of my sight.”

“How about you Listen to what I have to say first. Then I’ll leave.” a quip back in reply.

Richter looked at Ratatosk with heated angry eyes, wanting nothing more to hurt the other. For daring to touch Aster- Did he want to allow this monster the satisfaction of speaking. He figured to get his loneliness, he would have to put up with it. This wasn’t like before in the ginnungagap. Ratatosk was at full power and has been awake for some time now and could easily overpower Richter. Fighting against Ratatosk would be suicide, but perhaps that was better dealing with than knowing that Aster cheated on him. Ratatosk took Richter’s pause to continue.

“Aster regrets what he did. We had only intended it to be a once and done thing, but curiosity kills cats a lot. You can either understand that or continue being an ass who stumbled upon the tail end of a conversation. Aster does nothing but talks about you anyway.” Ratatosk shook his head before turning to take his leave.

“Wait.”

“What, I thought you wanted me out of your sight.”

“Did… Are you… You don’t have feelings for Aster right?”

Ratatosk blinked and gave an unamused look. “Seriously?”

“Just answer.”

“No. I don’t have feelings for him.”

“Then why do it with him?”

“Fuck, Richter, Does it Matter? Because I didn’t know anything about what it is you mortals do? Idle curiosity.”

Richter nodded. He had gathered a lot of that from the notes so it seemed like Ratatosk was telling the truth. However, this meant Richter had to tackle with knowing that Aster would go such lengths for research. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He strode past Ratatosk after having some dwelling on it, deciding to apologize to Aster for blowing up the way he did. Ratatosk didn’t follow Richter, deciding he needed a break from both of them. In a way, this didn’t feel worth reading one single stupid book. Even if it was hilariously stupid what people thought of him.

Richter found Aster sitting in the hallway, head in his knees. A small sigh before deciding to sit next to the blond in small silence. The other may have peeked at him, may have not. Richer couldn’t tell. The other seemed very sullen and it pained him that he had caused this.

“Aster…” Richter called to the blond only for the blond to flop and lean against him. “Aster, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have blown up like that. I didn’t listen to you and I apologize.”

Aster didn’t respond right away. Of course, he didn’t, he was running around in circles lost, and for what! Nothing, for nothing. Because here Richter was, apologizing out of the blue. What had caused him to change his mind? However, it all started to melt away to ‘not caring’ because he could be close to Richter. Richter hadn’t shunned him away. After his blunders, and mistakes Richter was …

“It’s not your fault,” Aster mumbled afterward. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault for this even happening.”

Richter offered a tender smile before putting a gloved hand on Aster’s back and rubbing it gently. Offering his comfort to the blond.

Ratatosk, on the other hand, was peeking at Aster’s notes before deciding to get something to eat. Not before leaving a note, though.


End file.
